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Take Your Program to the Next Level

By Massachusetts Hockey, 04/13/17, 1:15PM EDT

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Association Leadership Conference Sponsored by Pure Hockey

NOW is the time to learn more about the initiative, opportunities and education available for ALL hockey associations in Massachusetts. This day will provide direction and resources for veteran leaders and new volunteers to learn how to provide the best experiences for their hockey players.

Massachusetts Hockey is hosting the 2017 Association Leadership Conference Sponsored by Pure Hockey. The event takes place on Sat., May 13, 2017 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Boston Marriott Newton, 2345 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton  MA 02466.

There is NO COST to attend the event. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Pre-registration is encouraged. Click here to register for FREE online. Also, click here to see the event posted on Facebook. 

By attending, you will have a chance to WIN equipment for your association, such as the QuickChange Goalie Equipment, OneGoal Gear and Hockey Bumper System.

Plus, your association could be the FIRST to register for an opportunity to host the 2017 Little Bruins Learn to Play Hockey Program, which will be held at over 50 locations. These programs help aspiring youth hockey players ages five (5) to eight (8), to develop their skills!

There will be small discussion groups with a SPECIAL main speaker during lunch. The speaker will be announced soon.

Schedule and topics are subject to change on availability. The schedule will be posted closer to the event date.

See below for the confirmed speakers and scheduled discussion groups:

The day will be broken into small discussion groups and we will have a SPECIAL GUEST during lunch. The special guest will be announced soon.

The following is a list of confirmed topics and speakers. The final schedule will be posted closer to the event date.

Club Excellence: A Tool to Make Your Association Better

Speaker: Kevin Erlenbach, USA Hockey Director of Member Development.

Description: Does your program struggle with communication between Board Members and with program families? In this session Kevin will share Club Excellence, a new online portal system designed to give USA Hockey associations a unique home that will drive organizational success. The portal walks local leadership through the day-to-day needs of running a successful youth hockey association.

ADM/Player Development

Speaker: Roger Grillo, USA Hockey Regional Manager of the American Development Model.

Description: The American Development Model (ADM) is much more than 8 & Under cross ice hockey. Roger will share information on what positive changes he has already seen regarding the ADM model and how it can be applied to all age groups. Roger will speak about how the American Development Model is expanding into programs across Massachusetts and highlight the opportunities for training on-site for all programs.

Keeping Hockey Affordable

Speaker: Bill Naumann, President of Norwood Youth Hockey.

Description: Keeping kids on the ice, maintaining a safe atmosphere, and providing high quality hockey action for players is expensive. Bill has found creative ways to keep hockey affordable, accessible, and effective. He’ll share his experience with 3 vs 3 cross-ice instructional hockey.

Growing Your Organization

Speaker: Andy Gibson, USA Hockey Coordinator for Program Services.

Description: Growing the game is more than a slogan; it is a goal of USA Hockey, Massachusetts Hockey and for each of you. Membership development is about helping more kids and families experience the enjoyment of youth hockey. Andy will share how local programs can leverage USA Hockey as a source of information and resources to grow the game in Massachusetts.

Goaltender Initiatives

Speaker: Brian Robinson, Managing Director for Stop It Goaltending and Harvard Men’s Ice Hockey Goaltending Coach.

Description: Brian will share information about the new USA Hockey philosophy and initiatives for goalies. This information will help programs and coaches grow the number of goaltenders and improve their skills on and off the ice. This includes Massachusetts Hockey Goaltending Clinics.

SafeSport: Keeping Players Safe Off-Ice

Speaker: Christine Mayer, Second Vice President of Massachusetts Hockey and Chair of the SafeSport Committee for Massachusetts Hockey.

Description: This session will outline the responsibilities of the local SafeSport coordinator. Chris will share resources and expectations for running local investigations, hearings, and following the SafeSport protocols.

Safety/Concussion

Speakers: Dr. Alan Ashare, member of the Board of Directors of USA Hockey and Chair of the Safety and Protective Equipment Committee. Tom Smith, Chair of the Massachusetts Hockey Safety Committee and Founder of the Look-Up line.

Description: ‘Doc’ and Tom will discuss many Massachusetts Hockey Initiatives regarding player safety including: Heads Up Don’t Duck, Concussion protocol, resources available, and the Look Up Line. “Heads Up Don’t Duck” is a very critical technique that can help prevent serious injury. The Look-Up Line™, ice hockey’s warning track; is an adjunct to decreasing the risk of injuries along the boards.

Registering Your Association & State Tournaments

Speaker: Steve Palmacci, former President of Massachusetts Hockey, current USA Hockey Registrar and Chair of the State Tournament Committee.

Description: Steve will discuss the responsibilities and proper procedures of the local registrar. He will discuss the USA Hockey registration requirements, and the online registration portal. Also, he will also discuss the changes made by the State Tournament Committee and will talk about the State Championships going forward.

The Legal Side of Hockey (Including Using Association Bylaws)

Speaker: Maura Sheehan, General Counsel for Massachusetts Hockey. 

Description: Maura will facilitate a discussion around the legal issues of running a hockey association. This will include why bylaws are important and the need for them to be updated and why filing tax returns is important to your associations status.

Discipline Process

Speaker: Jeff Brown, Chair of the Massachusetts Hockey Discipline Committee and District 6 Registrar.

Description: He will discuss USA Hockey and Massachusetts Hockey policies and the proper procedures for suspensions and discipline of members. This discussion will include when and how to run a hearing if necessary.

Little Bruins Programs

Speaker: Mike Dargin, Youth Hockey Development Manager for the Boston Bruins.

Description: The Boston Bruins in partnership with Massachusetts Hockey are excited to provide the Little Bruins Learn to Play Hockey program to help aspiring, youth hockey player’s ages five (5) to eight (8) develop their skills. The program includes full equipment to keep, including skates, a professional fitting and four weeks of on ice instruction from Mass Hockey Coaches.

Running Your Hockey Association

Speaker: Waltham Youth Hockey, local Massachusetts Hockey local association in Waltham, Mass.

Description: This association shares the same challenges that other associations have faced, from losing coaches and players to finding enough ice time. They have has embraced these challenges and during this session, they will take you through the steps they are taking to keep their program strong. They’ll provides tips to help children have fun learning and playing hockey.

Coaching Education

Speaker: Eric EisendrathPositive Coaching Alliance Lead Trainer, Content Development.

Description: Quality trained coaches benefit children, youth sports programs and communities in countless ways. If volunteer coaches are comfortable and confident in their abilities to work with children and coach the sport, they will feel like – and be – an extremely valuable part of the youth sports program. This speaker will explain the process for coaches in Massachusetts and how to make it a great experience.


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